Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Daniel Catenacci played for the York Simcoe Express Minor Midget club, scoring 42 goals and adding 45 assists for 87 points in 39 games. He was chosen in the first round, 1st overall, of the 2009 OHL Priority Selection by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

2009-10: In his OHL rookie season, Catenacci played in 65 games for the Greyhounds, He scored 10 goals and added 20 assists for 30 points to go along with 68 penalty minutes. Catenacci played for Team Ontario’s silver medal squad at the 2010 World Under-17 hockey Challenge, scoring 3 goals and chipping in 2 assists for 5 points in 6 games.

2010-11: In 67 games for the Greyhounds, Catenacci scored 26 goals and added 45 assists for 71 points to go along with 117 penalty minutes. Catenacci also played for Canada at the 2011 U-18 World Junior Championship, picking up 2 assists in 6 games in that tournament. Catenacci played for Team Orr at the 2011 CHL Home Hardware Top Prospects Game, scoring 1 goal in Orr’s 7-1 win over Team Cherry.

2011-12: Catenacci was the second-leading scorer for OHL Owen Sound behind Islanders prospect Mike Halmo. He scored 33 goals with 39 assists and was plus-11 with 114 penalty minutes in 67 games. The Attack finished third in the Midwest Division and lost to Kitchener in a first round playoff series. Catenacci scored 1 goal with 3 assists and was minus-two with 8 penalty minutes in five playoff games. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sabres in April, 2012.

2012-13: Catenacci made his debut in pro hockey — playing two games with Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester in April after finishing his fourth OHL season. He scored a goal and had an assist in his first game with the Amerks and had an assist the next night in a game against Hamilton. He did not play in Rochester’s three-game playoff series. Catenacci led Owen Sound in points and penalty minutes in his second season with the Attack. He scored 38 goals with 41 assists and was +31 with 115 penalty minutes in 67 games. The Attack finished second to OHL champion London in the Midwest Division and advanced to the second round in the playoffs. Catenacci scored 3 goals with 6 assists and was -5 with 32 penalty minutes in 12 playoffs games.

2013-14: Catenacci skated for Sabres’ AHL affiliate Rochester in his first pro season. He scored 10 goals with 10 assists and was -6 with 32 penalty minutes in 76 regular season games for the Americans. Rochester finished second in the North Division and lost to Chicago in a first-round playoff series. Catenacci played in two playoff games, with no points nor penalties.

2014-15: Catenacci returned to Rochester for his second season with the Americans. In 68 games he scored 15 goals with 14 assists and was -7 with 29 penalty minutes. The Amerks missed the playoffs, finishing last in the North Division.

Talent Analysis

Catenacci is a speedy forward who uses his acceleration to create space when he has the puck, find space when he does not and finish checks should the need arise. Catenacci is often overlooked because of his size, but he is not shy or intimidated by physical play.

Future

Catenacci made his NHL debut for Buffalo in a February 6th game against Boston after spending most of the 2015-16 season with the AHL's Rochester Americans. An undersized forward who is more of a playmaker than a pure scorer, Catenacci projects as an effective lower line center who plays a detailed game.

Photo: Forward Zemgus Girgensons is one of four teenagers to play for the Buffalo Sabres this season. The Latvian-born Girgensons was selected 14th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Currently amid a full-scale rebuild, the Buffalo Sabres have 43 prospects in their system, including seven first-round picks, giving them both quantity and quality at every position. The Sabres also have many prospects already contributing at the NHL level, including forwards Zemgus Girgensons, Mikhail Grigorenko, and Johan Larsson.

Photo: Forward Mikhail Grigorenko is expected to have a strong 2013-14 season with the Buffalo Sabres. Grigorenko played in 25 games with the Sabres last season, managing a goal and four assists. (courtesy of Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Buffalo Sabres continue their re-build with a sense of optimism this coming season. Mikhail Grigorenko steps in full-time as one of the team's top centers while Finnish power forward Joel Armia prepares to test his scoring abilities on North American ice.

With only two playoff appearances in the past six seasons, it is abundantly clear the Buffalo Sabres need to retool their roster and head in a new direction. Finishing last in the Northeast Division, the team's worst showing since the 2003-04 lockout, general manager Darcy Regier is preparing to usher in the post-Lindy Ruff era of Sabres hockey.

Photo: Defenseman Alex Lepkowski had a strong playoff run with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. The 20-year-old was a defensive mainstay for the Colts, who finished one win away from a berth in the 2013 Memorial Cup. (courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL images)

After finishing last in the Northeast Division for the first time since 2004 and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Buffalo Sabres are hitting the reset button. The first move was saying goodbye to head coach Lindy Ruff after 1,165 games behind the bench, then shipping captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild for two prospects and two picks.

Photo: Mikhail Grigorenko remains the top prospect for the Buffalo Sabres. Drafted 12th overall in 2012, Grigorenko has played 17 games in the NHL this season. (courtesy of Cliff Welch/Icon SMI)

The Buffalo Sabres prospect pool is in a state of transition, with many of their top prospects, such as Mikhail Grigorenko and Marcus Foligno, now contributing to the NHL roster. Many of the Sabres other prospects, such as Andrey Makarov and Daniel Catenacci, are dominating their respective competition levels and appear poised to move on to the professional level next year. In general, the Sabres have good depth at every position, though they are deepest at center and on defense.